Brave to Dare
by MiraculousDragonMaster
Summary: Iris is a scarred girl, both physically and emotionally, with a lot of struggles. Serena is the seemingly sweet popular girl who always gets what she wants. And Dawn is a newcomer who tries to do the right thing. These girls had nothing in common, until an adventurous boy with a Pikachu turns everything they knew upside down. AU based off Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
1. Loneliness

Brave to Dare

 **A/N: Howdy there, readers! This is MiraculousDragonMaster here, and I have here another Pokémon story to share.**

 **Here's some background info. This is a Hunchback of Notre Dame AU placed in modern times, and with gender role reversals.**

 **However, here's a warning. This has Pearlshipping vs one-sided Negaishipping vs one-sided Amourshipping; definite love triangle, or square or whatever one would call it. There will also be some Serena bashing. So, if you don't like any of this, turn away now.**

 **All right. Now that that's out of the way, let's begin! And, action!**

Chapter 1

Loneliness

Iris Dracon quickly walked through the shadowy alleyways of Lumiose City. She wore a beige tunic with pink trim, matching leggings, matching loafers, and a dark purple hoodie over her head to conceal her face. It was bad enough that everyone at school teases her and spread rumors about her just because she wears a hoodie all the time. But, she didn't want them to know something very personal.

Finally, she made it to the central plaza of the city. She looked up and saw her home. Prism Tower. The white, sleek, tall tower curving up to the sky at a point was the trademark of Lumiose City, possibly even the entire Kalos region.

Every since she can remember, at age 7, she had secretly lived at the very top floor of Prism Tower. The immense height of the tower can give people shaky knees, but not Iris. Living up there for 10 years; heights are a cinch.

Iris got out a Poké Ball from her hoodie pocket. A soft smile began to grow on her hidden face. "Dragonite, let's go!" She called out as she tossed the red and white capsule in the air.

In a stream of blue light, a pale orange and yellow Dragon type Pokémon appeared. It had amber eyes, two pale yellow antennae on his head, and wings on his back. He roared as he demonstrated his power and size, towering almost two feet above his Trainer.

Iris covered her ears for a second, then went over to Dragonite. "Shh!" She shushed, pressing a finger to her lips. "Dragonite, keep it down!" She patted the neck of the Dragon type, and it quieted down. "We can't draw attention to ourselves." She then got on Dragonite's back. "Take us up." She said.

Dragonite spread open his wings and took off into the air. He spiraled up towards the top and stopped at an open window. Iris then jumped off his back and through the window.

"Thanks, Dragonite." She said. "Go take a flight. But, be back soon and don't get into any trouble."

Dragonite gave his Trainer a grateful growl, and then he zoomed off into the sky.

Iris rolled her eyes with a smile. She then looked around her home. It was dark and shady, with boxes stacked around the hidden entrance. There was a mattress with a pillow and worn lilac blankets off in a corner. And near the window she came in from, there was a table with painted wood carvings of the buildings and people that mean something to her.

Iris pulled off her hood to reveal dark tan skin, brown eyes, and dark purple hair in a huge low ponytail. But, her face had jagged scars all over her cheeks and a very bad one was hidden by the bangs on her forehead.

When she was 7 years old, Iris and her parents were caught in a terrible car accident. She was the only one who survived; barely. Being left all alone with her Axew, who also survived it, Iris hid inside Prism Tower, not wanting to go to a foster home because of her fears of being mistreated by strangers. She managed to heal her face, but it left all those scars. She thought she looked deformed and ugly. So, she never left her sanctuary in the tower.

However, as she started to get older, she wondered what the outside world was like now. A few times, she had snuck out with her hoodie over her face. She eventually attended school a few times, but not often, because of the jeers the other students would give her.

Her Axew then popped his head out of her hair, slightly gasping for air. He then jumped out and landed on the floor. He had olive green and gray scales, ruby red eyes, and two tusks coming out of his jaws.

Iris chuckled softly, then bent down to Axew. "Sorry about that, Axew." She said. "But you know that no one must see me."

"Axew." The little Dragon type said, understanding completely.

Iris then reached into her hoodie pocket again and pulled out two more Poké Balls. "Okay. Excadrill, Emolga, come on out."

The two capsules opened, and when the blue lights disappeared, there were two more Pokémon. One was a Ground type mole, with sharp claws and a curved helmet on his head. The other was a cute Electric type flying squirrel with white and dark gray fur, and yellow electric sacs on her cheeks.

Iris had met Excadrill first, soon after she turned 10 and got her Trainer's license. Back then, he was just a Drillbur, but after some hard and intense training, he had evolved.

Some time later, she met her Emolga, when the cheeky Electric and Flying type tried to take some fruit from her, but eventually, the two became friends and Emolga joined her team.

A year later, she met Dragonite, when he had caused some power outage to some parts of the city from the Lumiose Power Plant and stopped by Prism Tower for a rest. Iris managed to befriend him, and added him to her team of friends.

"You guys ready for lunch?" Iris asked as she reached for her backpack. Her three Pokémon cheered happily for something to eat.

Iris got out three cans of Pokémon food from her faded pink backpack. She placed three bowls on the ground, and poured some food pellets for them. As her Pokémon began to eat, Iris got out a bag of apples for herself. But before she could take a bite out of one, a knock was heard on the door.

Axew, Excadrill, and Emolga instinctively hid behind boxes or in dark corners. Iris cautiously walked over to the door and glanced outside. She then visibly relaxed when she saw who it was.

"It's okay, everyone." She called out to her Pokémon. "It's just Serena."

Serena Ryder was the mayor's daughter, and the most popular girl in school. And, she was the only friend Iris had. Serena was the first to discover Iris living in Prism Tower, but instead of telling the authorities, she promised to visit her and keep her company.

As they grew older, Iris still loved her friend's visits and wished that they can do it more often. But, Serena insists that they hang out in secret. Despite her initial confusion about it, Iris complied.

The Pokémon slowly came out of hiding. Even though they knew that Serena was her friend, there was something about her that they didn't like. She was sweet and kind when they first met her, but now, she seemed too proud of everything she does, and acts like she knows what's best. Something was wrong about her now at age 17, but what was it?

* * *

 **A/N: All right. What do y'all think so far? Okay at least? Sorry, I guess my nerves get to me whenever I post a new story. Maybe it's because of trolls out here. But, they can't bring me down if I read your support. Let me know what you guys think so far in your reviews.**

 **Got to fly! ;)**


	2. Dinner with Friends

Brave to Dare

 **A/N: Hey, y'all! Sorry for not updating this for a while. But now that summer vacation is here finally, I can do some more chapters.**

 **And I'm also glad that when I started this, it hit off to a good start. Well, let's get on with Chapter 2! Roll it!**

Chapter 2

Dinner with Friends

Iris opened the steel-plated door to reveal her best friend, Serena. She was a lovely teenage girl, with silky honey blonde hair cut to her chin, fair skin, and artic blue eyes. She wore a short pink tunic, a long red shawl over her body with a matching fedora hat on her head, black stockings, and stylish brown boots. She also had a picnic basket over her arm.

"Hey, Serena." Iris said, greeting her only human friend with a big smile.

"Hey, Iris." Serena greeted back. She held up a picnic basket. "I brought something for you."

"Thanks." Iris took the basket and set it down the floor beside her Pokémon. Inside was a few warm Lumiose Galettes, a bag of colorful Poké Puffs; all delicately decorated with frosting and Berries, and a plastic thermos of lemonade. "You want some, Serena?" She asked. Axew, Excadrill, and Emolga immediately crowded around the bag of Poké Puffs.

"No, thanks." Serena said, shaking her head. "I already ate back at my place." She sat down beside Iris and looked around. "Dragonite out For a flight again?" She asked.

"Yep." Iris said, taking a sip of lemonade from the thermos.

Serena quietly giggled at the huge Dragon type's wild spirit. "So, how was your day?"

Iris slightly faltered when she recalled the events from today, but immediately perked up. "It was fine." She handed a fancy green frosted Poké Puff to Axew.

But Serena caught her small fault. "Okay. What happened this time?" She asked.

Iris sighed. "Just the usual. Kids at school making up rumors about me." She handed an orange Poké Puff to Excadrill.

Serena rolled her eyes in annoyance. "What makes them say stuff like that? If I could, I would make them shut up."

"It's okay." Iris said. "I'm used to it." She passed a pink Poké Puff with a red Berry on top to Emolga, who immediately starting eating the sweet pastry.

Serena noticed how quiet her friend was as she ate an apple and a Lumiose Galette. "Hey, maybe you should lay low for a while. School's almost out for spring break, anyway."

Iris smiled faintly. "Yeah, that may be a good idea."

"You know that there is a new student at school?" Serena asked, changing the subject. Iris shook her head. "Well, she just moved here from Sinnoh."

"Sinnoh?" Iris asked. "That's a long way from Kalos."

"Yeah." Serena agreed. "I'll admit, she seems pretty talented. In my Performance class, she really shows potential, due to the fact that she is a Pokémon Coordinator."

"Huh." Iris replied, intrigued, since in Kalos, they sadly don't have Pokémon Contests for Coordinators to compete in. "What kind of Pokémon does she have?"

"I only know so far that she has a Piplup. Very cute and talented." Serena said, remembering the performance she saw in class. "I think she might participate in the Performance Appeals for the Spring Showcase tomorrow."

Iris froze. The Spring Showcase. She slapped her palm against her forehead. "Oh, man." She groaned. "I forgot that I signed up for the Battle Exhibition."

The Pokémon Battle Exhibition was one of the main events everyone looks forward to at the annual Spring Showcase. And this year, instead of just the mayor and his family presiding over the event, Cynthia, the Champion of the Sinnoh region will be joining them, along with a special guest of hers to give a battle demonstration to kick things off with a bang. Now, she'll have to miss all of it. Especially since Cynthia was one of Iris' idols, because of her signature Pokémon, Garchomp.

Serena winced. "That's not good. Too bad you have to miss it."

"Yeah." She sighed, finishing her last Lumiose Galette. Serena took the basket and stood up.

"I'll see you soon, okay?" She said, patting her shoulder. "Remember, stay low for a couple of days." Then, Serena left, closing the door behind her.

Iris slumped against the wall near her. How could she have forgotten about the Battle Exhibition? When she had signed up for it, she was eager to participate in it, because if everyone could see her battling skills, she might earn enough respect from them so that she would not hide from them as much anymore.

Her Pokémon finished their Poké Puffs and saw their crestfallen Trainer. They went over to her, trying to comfort her, with Axew on her lap, Excadrill by her side, an Emolga on her left shoulder. Iris patted each of them on the head.

"Thanks, guys." She said. "I've really had been looking forward to entering the Battle Exhibition. But I promised Serena that I would stay low for a few days."

Axew saw her hoodie on the table. He jumped out of Iris' lap, up onto the table, and held it up. " _Axew_!" He called.

Iris turned to her Dragon-type Pokémon and saw him holding up her hoodie. She then remembered. No one can see her face wearing her trusty hoodie. And if she was careful enough, she could sneak out and participate in the Exhibition.

"If I sneak out tomorrow, I might still get into the Battle Exhibition!" She exclaimed. "Axew, you're a genius!" She swooped her little Dragon type up in her arms and hugged him tightly. There was still hope. And maybe, her plan would work.

* * *

 **A/N: I'm sorry if this was a little short for your taste, but this was all I can come up with for now. And remember, this nice Serena won't last for long. Just a warning for those who don't like Serena bashing.**

 **But in the next chapter, which hopefully will be a bit longer, we will meet the new student they were talking about earlier. And I think you guys might already know who it is.**

 **I'll see you all in Chapter 3! Please leave a review about what you think!**

 **Got to fly! ;)**


	3. Helping a Stranger

Brave to Dare

 ** **A/N: It sure has been a while since I had updated this. But, this chapter was driving me crazy. But I hope this will be worth all the brain rattling. Chapter 3 is ready! Roll it!****

Chapter 3

Helping a Stranger

The next day, walking through the crowded streets of the city, a 17-year-old girl was looking around for the stadium where the Spring Showcase will be held. The girl had midnight blue hair down to her shoulders, bangs across her forehead, matching blue eyes, and fair skin. She had on a pink and black shirt, a matching skirt, high pink boots, and a white cap with a pink Poké Ball insignia on her head. On her shoulder was a cute little Piplup.

Dawn Berlitz looked around the streets and sighed with frustration. "Of course I wouldn't know my way around here." She said. "After only being here for a few weeks, it would not be so simple."

" _ _Piplup__." Her little Water type agreed in his own language.

They then saw a tiny gray cat-like Pokémon zip into an alleyway, followed by two guys that obviously spelled bad news. If Dawn remembered correctly from school, that Pokémon that was being chased was an Espurr. Male or female, she didn't know. She quietly followed them into the alley until she saw that the two guys had the Espurr cornered.

"We got you now." One of the thugs said.

" _ _Espurr__!" The little Psychic type whimpered in fright. It curled itself tighter into the corner, as if it wished to vanish into the brick wall. The thugs sneered as they began to get closer to the scared little Pokémon.

Dawn gritted her teeth. She absolutely hated people like that; upsetting Pokémon for the sheer fun of it. Well, It definitely didn't seem fun. She was about to shout at them and give them a good what-for, when a voice echoed through the alley.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" It demanded.

Dawn hid behind her corner and saw a boy her age come towards the thugs from another alley. She was at first dazed at his handsome appearance. He had tan skin with Z-marks on his upper cheeks, chocolate brown eyes turned up into flames, wild ebony hair tucked underneath a red and white cap with a blue Poké Ball insignia, a blue and white short-sleeved jacket, dark gray travel pants, and dark gray and red sneakers. On his hands were simple black biker gloves with red trim. On his shoulder was a cute Pikachu, who was just as displeased as his Trainer.

"That's not a right way to treat a Pokémon." The boy continued, glaring at the two thugs.

" _ _Pika, pika!__ " His Pikachu shouted in agreement.

"Why do you care?" The first thug asked annoyed. "Is this your Pokémon?"

"No, but all Pokémon don't deserve to be brought down by cowards like you, who only act tough just to get a point across!" The boy snapped back.

"Oh, yeah?" The second thug challenged. "Well, what are you going to do about it?"

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt 'em!" The boy commanded to his Pikachu.

The little Electric type leaped off his Trainer's shoulder and with a loud " _ _Pikachu__!", it unleashed a powerful Thunderbolt on the two, zapping them good.

Once seeing that they were dazed enough, the boy ran over to the Espurr and took it in his arms. The Psychic type was a little scared at first, being in a stranger's arms.

But Dawn could hear the boy soothing the frightened Pokémon. "It's okay. I'm here to help." He turned to his Pikachu, who had hopped back on his shoulder. "Come on, let's go."

As he ran off into the alley he came in through with the Espurr in his arms, he saw out of the corner of his eye Dawn watching him. But, he couldn't tell if she was another thug because the other two were about to chase him.

"Get back here, punk!" They shouted.

Seeing that they were about to follow the boy, Dawn sprung into action. "Piplup, use Hydro Pump!" She ordered.

The Water type jumped off her shoulder and with a loud chirp, sprayed a large and powerful vortex of water at the two thugs, stopping them in their tracks and allowing the boy and the two other Pokémon to escape.

"Now, use Ice Beam!" Dawn shouted.

Piplup formed an ice blue ball of energy in his beak and unleashed it. When the crackling energy ribbons made contact with the two soaked thugs, thick ice began to form around the two, pinning them against the brick wall.

"Hey, what's the big idea?" The first thug demanded.

Dawn came up to them with her arms crossed and with a steely glare. "The big idea is that you should know better than to bully a Pokémon!" She snapped. "Only knuckleheads like you guys would do something like that."

Hiding behind another wall overhearing the conversation was the boy with Pikachu and Espurr. He quietly snickered at Dawn's comment and then continued heading out of the alleys.

* * *

A few minutes later, the police arrived at the scene. They slightly thawed the ice and stuffed the thugs into one of the cars. Officer Jenny revved up to Dawn on her motorcycle, and she told her the whole story.

"And, did you see where this other boy ran off to?" She asked.

"No." Dawn replied. "After he saved Espurr, he just took off with it."

"Hmm. That's too bad." Jenny said. "I would've liked to thank him as well. We've been after these two for a few days." She then started up her motorcycle again. "Well, any way I can thank you, young miss?"

"Well, we're looking for where the Spring Showcase is being held." Dawn explained, looking up at Piplup, who was now on her head.

"Hop in." Jenny said, gesturing to the passenger seat attached to her motor. "I'll take you there."

Dawn grinned widely. "Thanks, Officer Jenny!" She got in the seat with Piplup in her lap. Jenny then started revving away.

However, unbeknownst to them, the boy whom they were talking about was hiding among the shadows of a separate alley. His eyes were focused on the direction Dawn went. For some reason, he couldn't stop thinking about her. From what he could tell from his run-by, she was exceptionally pretty. And, she definitely has a sense of justice and a fiery attitude. He didn't even notice that he started smiling softly as images of her filled his mind.

" _ _Pika-pi__." A yellow paw waved in front of his face, snapping him out of his thoughts. His Pikachu grinned slyly at him. " _ _Pika, pikachu__." He teasingly elbowed him.

The boy shrugged off his Pokémon's teasing. "Don't even go there." He said.

A ringing sound caught his attention. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a Holo Caster. A hologram of a woman then appeared. She had long blonde hair, gray eyes, bangs over her right eye, and pale skin. She wore a sleeveless light blue shirt and dark gray pants.

"Ash, where are you?" The woman asked. "I just went for a quick ice cream cone, and you vanished."

The boy, now known as Ash, sheepishly rubbed the back of his head with his spare hand. "Eh, sorry about that, Cynthia." He said. "But to be fair, you took a while for a 'quick' ice cream."

The Champion of the Sinnoh region smiled nervously. "Good point." She said. "But you better get back to the stadium. Even though the exhibition doesn't start for another hour, you need to make sure your Pokémon are ready for our opening battle."

"I'm on my way." Ash closed down his Holo Caster and put it back in his pocket. He turned to the Espurr that was clinging onto his leg. "I'm glad you're okay, now. But I have somewhere I need to be."

The Espurr mewed a little bit, not letting go. Pikachu chirped a few times to it, and it answered back. Pikachu gave Ash some chirps, trying to explain.

Ash then gave the little Psychic type his guess. "You want to stick with me for a while longer?" He asked.

Espurr gave a happy mew, confirming his theory. "Okay." Ash complied. "But, stay close to me." The Psychic type immediately leaped onto his other shoulder, opposite of Pikachu. "Let's get going, then." With that, the young Trainer headed towards the stadium where the Battle Exhibition will be held.

* * *

 ** **A/N: We have finally met Dawn, the new girl in Lumiose, and Ash, the special guest along with Cynthia. Next up, we have a Battle Exhibition where Ketchum might get more than one admirer, if you know what I mean.****

 ** **See y'all in Chapter 4, then! Please leave a review about what you think.****

 ** **Got to fly! ;)****


	4. The Battle Exhibition

Brave to Dare

 **A/N: Geez, it feels like forever since I last updated this story! Actually, it _has_ been forever. Sorry about that. Life has been keeping me busy. Especially school.**

 **Oh, well. I hope this update will be worthy of your patience. Here we go, with Chapter 4! Roll it!**

Chapter 4

The Battle Exhibition

The stadium was getting crowded as everyone was getting excited for the Battle Exhibition. So much excitement was around that hardly anyone noticed a hooded girl squeeze through the crowd and enter into the stadium building. Once she saw an empty room, she headed inside it and closed the door.

Iris took off her hood, her hair billowing out. Axew then popped his head out.

"You okay, Axew?" She asked the little Dragon type.

"Axew!" He assured her, waving a claw.

Iris smiled as she gently ran her hand over the olive green skin of the Tusk Pokémon. She then reached into her pale yellow shoulder bag and pulled out a dark gray plastic facemask. But before she could put it on, she heard footsteps coming near towards the room she was in. She immediately pulled her hood back up. Axew, though, was curious about the noise and went towards the doorway to investigate.

"Axew!" Iris whispered. "Come back."

The little Dragon type still managed to walk to the slightly open door and out into the hallway. There, he greeted a Pikachu and an Espurr, who both returned the friendly gesture.

Iris slowly crept closer to the doorway to watch the three Pokémon cheerfully interact with each other. A small smile appeared on her hidden face.

"Hi, there!" A voice piped up, startling Iris, and she immediately bolted backward away from the doorway, but lost her balance and fell onto her back, crashing into one of the benches.

A boy about her age was softly petting Axew on the head when the crash was heard from inside the room. When he and the Pokémon peeked in and saw Iris, he went over to her.

"Are you all right?" He asked.

Iris pulled her hood more over her head as she rubbed the sore spot on the back of her skull and stood up. "Yeah, I'm fine. You just startled me." All the while, she didn't even look at him.

"Sorry about that." The boy apologized. He then helped her regain her balance by gently holding up one of her arms. His touch made Iris back away shyly, still rubbing her head. "You're not hurt, are you? Here, let me see." He began to pull her hood down.

"No, please!" Iris pleaded, but the hood was now completely down, revealing her scars. The Pikachu and Espurr had their eyes widened in shock, exclaiming in shock. But although the boy's eyes widened slightly as well, he had a bright smile on his face.

"See?" He asked. "No harm done."

Iris felt her badly scratched cheeks turn a bright red as she finally got a good look at the boy. He had wild raven black hair under a red and white cap, chocolate brown eyes that were glowing with kindness, tan skin with birthmarks on his cheeks, and he had on a blue and white T-shirt, dark gray pants, red and gray shoes, and black biker gloves with red trim.

"Are you sure you're okay?" The boy asked again.

"Oh! Uh, yeah!" Iris answered nervously. "I-I'll be fine."

"That's good to hear." The boy said, smiling at her. He didn't seem afraid or disgusted by her scars. "Just try to be a little more careful, and I'll do the same."

"I-I will." Iris answered.

Suddenly, the intercom was on. _"The opening battle of the Battle Exhibition will begin in two minutes."_

"Well, I think that's my cue." The boy said. "You're here for the Battle Exhibition?" Iris only nodded. "Well, I'll look forward to seeing you out there." He flashed her one last grin before heading out of the room. "Come on, Pikachu, Espurr."

The electric mouse and psychic cat followed suit, waving goodbye to Iris and Axew. Once they left, Iris slowly sat down on the bench and just couldn't stop smiling at the doorway. Axew climbed up onto his Trainer and waved his claw in front of her face, but she didn't snap out of her giddy daze. This boy was the first person other than Serena who didn't seem to mind her appearance. A caring and brave spirit to match his handsome looks.

Finally, more footsteps got her out of her trance, and Iris quickly pulled up her hood and put on her facemask. She turned around to face the screen with Axew sitting on her lap and watch the opening battle as other competitors walked in, not paying attention to her, thankfully.

* * *

The stadium was roaring excitedly with thunderous applause. From one of the V.I.P sections, Serena watched as the Exhibition was about to get underway with her mother, the madam mayor of Lumiose City. She was anticipating what the battle was to turn out. The Sinnoh Region Champion will be participating, along with a special guest of hers. Whoever this guest was, he or she must be pretty special and talented in the art of battle to be noticed by a League Champion.

The host then came on screen from down on the battlefield. "Hello, Lumiose City! Are you battlers and fans ready?" The answer was a roaring cheer. "All right, then! Now, in part of our fair city's Spring Festival, the Luimose City Battle Exhibition will now begin!"

Another ear-piercing cheer was unleashed from the audience.

"But before we actually begin, we have a very special treat for you all! We have managed to get an exclusive battle experience to kick off this year's Battle Exhibition." The announcer turned to his right. "On my right, we have the one and only League Champion of the Sinnoh Region, Cynthia!"

The audience started cheering loudly as a spotlight shined down on Cynthia as she entered into the stadium. She smiled coolly as she made her way to the battlefield. The crowd receded their cheering when the screen showed the announcer ready to speak again, this time turning to his left.

"And on my left, we have a very special guest of Cynthia's. Please give a warm welcome, from all the way in the Kanto region, Ash Ketchum!"

The crowd restarted their applause and cheering as the spotlight sent a beam down on a familiar boy, a Pikachu on his left shoulder and an Espurr on his right, as he walked confidently to his side of the battlefield.

From inside the waiting room, Iris was surprised. That boy on screen and out on the battlefield was the same one who didn't scorn her because of her appearance and was so kind to her.

From somewhere out in the audience, watching the battle about to take place, Dawn was shocked as well. That was the same boy she saw who didn't back down in the alley and was willing to fight for what is right.

And sitting in the V.I.P section, Serena couldn't tear her eyes away from the handsome boy standing out on the field, ready to face his incredibly tough, and practically unbeatable, opponent. This is the special guest that the Sinnoh Region Champion is willing to face in a public battle? He must be pretty special to be noticed by someone like her.

At the same time, the three girls were thinking the same thing as they stared at him from on the screen. _Ash Ketchum. So that is his name._

Cynthia spoke over to the opposing side of the battlefield. "Ash, just because this is just to start this off, it doesn't mean that I will go easy on you."

Ash just smirked confidently. "I didn't count on it. Besides, that's what makes it worth every effort."

Cynthia returned the smirk. "I shouldn't expect any less from you." She then pulled out a Poké Ball. "Garchomp, battle dance!" She called out, throwing the capsule.

With a flash of blue light, her signature Pokémon made its appearance. The Ground and Dragon type roared with confidence as it readied itself into battle position.

Ash smirked and turned to his own partner on his left shoulder. "Hey, buddy. You up for a hard work-out?"

"Pika!" The Electric type replied confidently, pumping up his tiny fist.

"Then, I choose you!" With a swing of his arm, Pikachu leaped off Ash's shoulder and scampered onto the battlefield. Espurr jumped off Ash's other shoulder and onto the ground to watch the battle.

Cynthia smiled. Classic Ash, but when it comes to number one partners, he and Pikachu always come together as one in battle. It was time for the battle to start.

* * *

 **A/N: I'm sorry for the super long wait. And I have been working on this for almost five days.**

 **Because of this long update, and because of my lack of inspiration, I feel like maybe I should stop work on it completely. :(**

 **At least I'll give you guys a week to enjoy this slow developing story before it gets erased.**

 **Until then, got to fly.**


	5. Excitement Turns to Humiliation

Brave to Dare

 **A/N: Wow. I'm just so touched and amazed by all those who helped me regain my inspiration for this story. Thank you all so much.**

 **But, let's just on with this much-awaited chapter before I start getting sentimental. Roll it!**

Chapter 5

Excitement Turns to Humiliation

"Trainers ready?" The announcer asked. When both opponents nodded, he then shouted while using expressions. "Then, battle begin!"

The digital timer for 5 minutes then began to count down.

"Garchomp, use Draco Meteor!" Cynthia ordered, starting the battle. Garchomp launched a ball of energy into the sky, where it exploded and rained down onto the battlefield.

Iris was most impressed at the Dragon Pokémon's display of power, as were many others that were watching.

"Pikachu, dodge it with Quick Attack!" Ash ordered. Pikachu sped side to side across the battlefield, avoiding the explosions caused by the meteors that rained down all around him. All the while, he was making his way forward towards Garchomp.

"Now use Iron Tail!" Ash continued. Pikachu raced past the last meteor and he leaped into the air and struck Garchomp in the face with his Iron Tail.

Dawn was impressed at Pikachu's speed and his ability to dodge so many blasts at once while still staying focused enough to land the next hit.

Serena, meanwhile, was fascinated at how Ash could transition his Pokémon to go from defense and straight into offense.

"Not bad, Ash. Just what I'd expect from you. But you'll need more than speed to defeat Garchomp." Cynthia said.

"Well, Pikachu and I still have plenty to give." Ash replied, confidently.

"Then just try to stop this one! Garchomp, use Dragon Rush!" Garchomp's body glowed with power and it rushed forwards at incredible speed! It was so fast, not even Pikachu could dodge it! Pikachu was knocked backwards from the hit, but got back on his feet.

Iris was even more impressed with Garchomp's display of power and speed than before. Seeing the Sinnoh Region Champion in action was exciting!

"Garchomp, Stone Edge!" Cynthia called out. She wasn't letting up on the attacks just yet! A flurry of sharp stones flew towards Pikachu.

"Pikachu, spin and use Thunderbolt!" Ash called out. Ash knew that Electric attacks wouldn't hurt a Ground Pokémon like Garchomp, but he wasn't intending to use it as an attack. He was intending to use it as a defensive move!

Pikachu jumped and spun around in the air, launching his Thunderbolt. The spinning electricity acted like a shield for Pikachu, destroying all of the rocks that flew towards him. Not a single rock hit him.

Dawn and Serena were especially amazed at Pikachu's display. It almost looked like something out of a contest or a showcase.

"Garchomp, use Brick Break!"

"Dodge and slide under Garchomp!"

Garchomp's arm struck the ground as Pikachu avoided the attack. He then slid between Garchomp's legs and got behind it, catching Garchomp off-guard.

"Iron Tail!" Ash cried. Pikachu struck Garchomp from behind with another well-placed Iron Tail attack.

Pikachu wasn't as powerful as Garchomp and had a type disadvantage, being an Electric Pokémon, but Ash was able to compensate for these disadvantages with Pikachu's small size, which made him very agile, and a smaller target to hit.

"Dragon Rush, Garchomp!"

"Quick Attack, Pikachu!"

Both Pokémon sped towards each other and collided, sending them both skidding backwards. Pikachu seemed to take the worst of it, however.

Suddenly, the battle was interrupted from the sound of the timer running out. The battle had ended in a draw, but it was a sight to behold, and the crowd responded accordingly with a giant cheer of excitement.

Iris, Dawn, and Serena were astonished. Ash was clearly no ordinary trainer if he was able to hold his own against the Sinnoh Region Champion like that!

"Well done, Ash." Cynthia congratulated Ash as she called Garchomp back to its Poké Ball. "You never cease to amaze me."

Ash walked onto the battlefield and picked up an exhausted Pikachu, with Espurr on his heels. "Thanks for that awesome battle, Cynthia." He said.

"And that's it!" The announcer said. "What a way to start our Battle Exhibition! This battle is surely to begin this with a bang!"

The audience cheered as both Cynthia and Ash left the battlefield.

"Now, let us begin the Exhibition." The screen lit up and showed 32 random numbers. "First off, each contestant was given a number. Watch carefully, as the computers chooses the battle order."

All of the numbers began shuffling on the screen, and then they were laid out in a different order. From in the waiting area, Iris looked down at her number card. It showed 13. She looked back up on the screen and saw that she would be participating in the seventh battle. Her anticipation was causing her to almost burst. It won't be long now.

* * *

The next six battles passed quickly, with the victors of each battle moving on to the next round in the Top 16. Iris stood up and walked out onto the battlefield. She could hear the announcer ready to begin the next battle.

"And let's begin the seventh battle of the Battle Exhibition. On my right, we have Number 10, Georgia!" A girl came out onto the field, bearing a confident air around her. She had fair skin, hot pink hair cut to her chin, and teal eyes. She wore a teal and black shirt, matching shorts, and yellow sneakers, with a matching cap on her head and gloves on her hands.

Iris almost froze. Georgia is one of her worst bullies at school, and she claims to be a Dragon Buster, since she always makes sure that she wins against Dragon-type Pokémon. Well, it would always seem like that because she specializes in Ice-types.

She gripped her hood and slightly pulled it more over her head. Iris took a deep breath and walked out onto the battlefield.

"And on my left, we have Number 13, Iris!"

From up in the V.I.P section, Serena immediately stopped, and she heard her own thoughts booming inside her head. _Iris? She's here? I thought we said she would lay low! She broke her promise!_ The thoughts made her clench her teeth.

In the crowd, Dawn felt curious about the girl that entered into the stadium. She wore a purple hoodie over her head, hiding her face from the camera view. Was she hiding something?

And from his spot near the front of the battlefield, Ash saw the same girl he had helped earlier. He had a feeling that her face was something she wished to hide from everyone. And he knew why. Still, he couldn't overcome a sneaking suspicion that something might go wrong.

Iris heard the crowd cheering for her vigorously. A feeling she had never felt before coursed through her entire being. Was this what it felt like; acceptance? If it is, it felt wonderful.

"Well, well." That snarky voice brought her out of her thoughts. She glared down across the battlefield and saw Georgia giving her a cocky smirk. "I thought that you were too reclusive to show your faceless face here." Her teal eyes held no sympathy for anything.

"Sorry to disappoint you." Iris retorted back.

Georgia glared harshly at her quip. "Well, I'm going to bring you down permanently." She said, bringing out a Poké Ball and throwing it. "Beartic!"

In a flash of blue light, the giant Ice-type bear appeared on the battlefield and roared loudly with confidence, a small frosty air blowing through the stadium.

Iris shivered and rubbed her arms to keep them warm. She wasn't a big fan of the cold, but this was not the time to act weak. She then grabbed a Poké Ball of her own.

"Please, don't let me down." She whispered to the capsule in her hand. And then, with a hidden look of confidence, she tossed it up into the air. "Dragonite, come on out!"

When the blue light that shot out of the Poké Ball faded, Dragonite roared with confidence as it faced its opponent.

From the sidelines and in the audience, Ash and Dawn both raised a confused eyebrow. Dragon types were at a complete disadvantage against Ice types. They hoped that she would have a good strategy to handle this.

"Trainers ready?" The announcer asked. When both of the Trainers nodded, he then shouted while using expressions. "Then, battle begin!"

"Beartic, start with Ice Beam!" Georgia commanded.

The giant bear unleashed light blue energy ribbons from its mouth at Dragonite.

"Dodge it!" Iris commanded.

Dragonite obeyed and flew up to evade the crackling energy beams as they hit the ground and patches of ice appeared.

"Now, use Flamethrower!"

A burst of flames appeared out of Dragonite's mouth and hit Beartic, making it roar in pain.

Ash and Dawn had an impressed look on their faces. It was a good call to have a Dragon Pokémon know a Fire type move when it comes to match-ups like this. But still, how long can her luck last?

Georgia growled as Beartic shook itself. "Lucky shot!" She yelled. "Use Focus Blast!"

Beartic had a sphere of light blue energy forming in between its paws. It then shot it up at Dragonite.

"Deflect with Thunder Punch!" Iris commanded.

Electricity formed around one of Dragonite's fists and it used that electrified fist to counter the Focus Blast. Both attacks collided, then exploded. Dragonite quickly flew away from the smoke.

Georgia then saw her chance. "Use Blizzard!" She shouted.

Beartic released a strong snow and icy wind up at the air, and the audience shivered at the cold air from the attack. This time, there was no escaping it and Dragonite took some serious damage as it flew to the ground, his wings slightly covered in snow.

"Dragonite!" Iris shouted, worried for her friend as she held her hood up to keep it from falling off her head. "Are you okay?" She asked.

The Dragon type only shook off the snow and growled to her, reassuring her that he was okay. Iris smiled with relief.

Ash and Dawn were surprised at the strength of Dragonite. She must have raised it well if he can withstand that kind of critical damage.

Iris then turned her focus back to the battle. "Then, let's fight cold with cold! Ice Beam!"

Dawn and Ash were surprised. Dragonite knows an Ice-type move?

Like Beartic from earlier, Dragonite had crackling ice-blue energy ribbons shoot out of his mouth and at Beartic.

"Use Ice Beam as well!" Georgia commanded.

Beartic copied the attack, and both energy ribbons collided. A huge iceberg was then formed from both of the Ice attacks.

"Dragon Rush!" Iris shouted.

Blue energy formed around Dragonite in the shape of a dragon and he flew straight through the iceberg, cutting it down in size and towards Beartic.

"Hidden Power!" Georgia shouted, too.

Beartic had several glowing orbs of energy surround it, and then it fired them at Dragonite. But the Normal type attack did little as the orbs exploded on contact and didn't steer Dragonite off his course. Dragonite then slammed itself into Beartic, making it roar in pain.

Ash and Dawn once again were impressed. Though the attack wasn't that effective, it still looked like it hurt. This girl was a pretty good battler.

Iris had a smirk on her hidden face. "Time to win this!" She said. "Use Thunder Punch!"

Dragonite again had his fist coated in electricity as it dove down to hit his opponent.

"I don't think so!" Georgia exclaimed. "Focus Blast!"

Beartic again had a light blue sphere of energy formed in between its paws and hurled it at Dragonite. Once more, the attacks collided in equal strength and exploded.

The force of the attacks' collision was pretty strong, but this time, Iris was too late to hold onto her hood as it fell off her head, along with her facemask. The audience gasped as her scars were now viewed on the large screen.

Dawn was horrified. She looked like she barely survived such a terrible accident. But, she also felt sorry for Iris, since she most likely wanted to keep them a secret. Who knows how she got them, but it seemed like she didn't want anyone to know about them.

Ash saw Iris freeze, still as a statue when the camera zoomed in on her face. He saw the pain, shock, and humiliation in her eyes. A sharp twang of pity hit his heart. He wished he could help her.

From up in the V.I.P box, Serena glared at Iris. Serves her right for not laying low.

Iris felt like she couldn't breathe. Her fingers reached up to trace all of the scars that crossed her face. Tears then began welling up in her eyes as she turned away from the screen and covered her face with her hands. This wasn't according to plan. Now, her secret is out.

* * *

 **A/N: Once again, I want to thank everyone who gave me support and that got back my inspiration. Also, I want to thank PokemonFreak90, a great friend and fellow writer who wrote Ash's battle with Cynthia.**

 **Now, I can't always work on stories, though I wish I could. All I ask is that you all just be patient and stick for the next chapter. That goes for all of my stories.**

 **Until then, I'll see y'all later. Please leave a review about what you think.**

 **Got to fly! ;)**


	6. An Act of Defiance

Brave to Dare

 **A/N: Man, I have to say. This update was a little easier to do, since in the Disney movie this is based off of, this is one of my favorite scenes.**

 **On, with Chapter 6! Roll it!**

Chapter 6

An Act of Defiance

Iris could no longer take the hundreds of eyes looking down on her, and she fell down to her knees, her hair covering her eyes, which had tears rapidly building up in them. Peering through dark purple strands of hair, she looked for Serena. But, she saw that she was turned away from the stadium battlefield. She didn't blame her, though. She had broken her word. Georgia then snickered loudly from the opposite side of the battlefield.

"So that's why you always hide behind that flimsy hood of yours?" She asked snarkily. "Just so that no one can see your face? Ha! You really are pathetic. It's no wonder that you're such a recluse, ugly."

"Enough!" An angry loud voice shouted. Everything suddenly went quiet as a gasp went through the crowd. Everyone watched in surprise as Ash jumped out onto the field, with Pikachu and Espurr following him, and slowly walked over to Iris. Dawn was watching in amazement, while Serena turned her attention back to the Arena to see Ash walking out on it. Her brow was raised in curiosity.

The raven-haired Trainer then knelt down to meet her level. "It's okay." He softly assured her. His fingers brushed against her arm, and Iris flinched, but then looked up at Ash. The sun shining above them gave an appearance of a halo around his head, cap and all. He was like an angel. He might as well be one; with his kind, fearless, open, and caring heart.

"I'm sorry." He then held out his partially gloved hand to her. "Things like this happen, but you can't let them get to you."

Iris knew now that her scarred cheeks were blushing bright pink. She hesistantly then began to reach out her hand to his.

"Hey!" Georgia called out, and Ash snapped his attention over to her. Iris felt like all the warmth that was emitting from his presence had immediately vanished when he had turned to her rival and bully; and it was cold.

"Who do you think you are, Champion's pet?" She called, making Ash narrow his eyes at her. She most likely was calling him that was because he had the honor to battle Cynthia earlier. "Defending that reclusive freak?"

"How dare you call her that!" Ash yelled at her.

"What did you say?" Georgia asked, not liking how this guy was not backing down. Over in the crowd, Dawn was getting a little anxious. She hoped he knew what he was doing.

"You heard me!" Ash shouted. Serena had a strange smile on her face when she saw him not backing down. He definitely has fire.

"Who do you think you are?" Georgia demanded. "Why are you defending her? She's nothing!" That last comment stung as Iris looked down on the ground.

"No, she's not!" Ash retorted back. "I may know nothing about her, but just because she looks different doesn't mean that she's a bad person." Iris looked back up at Ash, her eyes wide. Did he really mean that?

Pikachu and Espurr got on either side of Ash and got into battle mode, just in case things got worse. "And she needs help." Ash continued. "You mistreat her just like how I was treated when I was younger. You think that you're all high-and-mighty, yet you're cruel to those who you think are below you."

"Shut up!" Georgia screamed.

But Ash was not finished yet. "In fact, you're the one who's nothing!"

The crowd gasped in astonishment. Ash turned back to Iris, smiling gently at her, and once again, held out his hand to her. This time, Iris didn't take too long to take it; secretly relishing in the partially gloved and gentle touch, and he pulled her back up on her feet.

Georgia was seething through her teeth. "Beartic, Ice Beam!" She angrily commanded.

The crowd gasped in fright when the huge Ice type fired light blue energy streams at Ash and Iris. Dawn didn't care that if she did this, because if she did, she would most likely attract some unwanted attention; she had to do something.

"Look out!" She yelled.

Ash and Iris saw the crackling ribbons of light heading towards them. But before Ash could take his stance with Iris clutching his arm, Espurr jumped in front of them. Her ears went up, with the inside markings glowing bright yellow, and walls of the same light boxed them in, protecting them from the Ice type move.

"Wow!" Ash exclaimed.

"Espurr can use Light Screen?" Iris asked quietly, but Ash heard her. He turned back to her with a bright smile.

"I guess so." He said. Iris blushed again that Ash had heard her comment.

The light walls soon vanished, and then Espurr landed in front of the two teenagers.

"Thanks, Espurr." Ash thanked the little Psychic type, and she mewed at him happily. Ash grinned at her, and then his smile quickly faded when he looked out towards Georgia across the battlefield.

"That move you just pulled could risk you getting disqualified." He pointed out.

"No one says something like that to me and gets away with it!" Georgia shouted angrily.

Ash glared at her fiercely. "Then, come and get me!" He challenged. "Unless you are too chicken to take on me. Usually, bullies are bullies because they are really cowards!" He taunted.

"Beartic, Hidden Power!" Georgia commanded.

The huge Ice type fired multiple green orbs of power over at the two, but Ash had quickly and gently pushed Iris to the main entryway of the stadium.

"Get to safety!" He called to her.

Iris was silent as she watched Ash continue to irritate Georgia, along with Pikachu and Espurr. Feeling a little safer, she decided to watch for just a few minutes the most.

She was amazed at Ash's endurance, skill, and speed. He definitely knew what he was doing. Iris wasn't the only one who was impressed by his skills and dexterity. Dawn was in awe at him dodging Hidden Power attacks and his fluid movements as he started to give commands to Pikachu to counterattack while still on the move. Serena, however, was more interested of how easily Ash could move while under pressure, and how his raven black hair was shining in the sun from under his cap.

Georgia had enough, though. "Use Focus Blast!" She shouted.

Beartic had a light blue ball of energy form in between its paws and fired it at Ash. The Kanto Trainer, though, only had a smirk come on his face.

"Deflect with Iron Tail!" He said.

Pikachu jumped into the air, and his tail turned into shiny steel. With one hard swing, the Electric type swung the Fighting type move back at Beartic, and it exploded on contact.

Dawn was amazed at his quick thinking. "Not bad for someone as cute as him." She said to herself. She then shut her trap when she realized what she had just said.

 _Did I seriously just call him cute?!_ Her thoughts screamed inside her brain. _Well, he is, well, more like hot, but now is not the time to be ogling him!_

Ash smirked confidently at the pink-haired Dragon Buster, who was practically shooting steam out of her ears.

"That's it!" She screamed. "Use Blizzard!"

Beartic had released a strong icy wind from its mouth. But Ash had already thought ahead as he started to run back onto the battlefield.

"Pikachu, Espurr!" He called to his companions.

The two Pokémon went over to their human friend, with Beartic still blowing a harsh wintry chill from its jaws.

"Espurr, buy us some time!" Ash said, who was starting to feel the cold air nip at his bare arms.

Espurr nodded, and then closed her eyes. Her ears then went straight up, revealing the yellow ringed patterns underneath. The patterns then began to glow bright blue. The Blizzard attack then had blue outlines forming around it, and it began blowing away from the three of them, and towards the V.I.P box. The people inside braced themselves as heavy amounts of snow began hitting the glass windows.

"Unfezant, come on out!" Ash called out, throwing up a Poké Ball. With a burst of blue light shooting out of the capsule, a female Unfezant with the brown splotches on her underbelly and no fancy red headdress on her head appeared with a confident caw.

The Flying type landed next to her Trainer, awaiting his directions. Ash hopped onto her back. Pikachu and Espurr followed suit, with the little Psychic type releasing her psychic hold on the powerful Ice type attack.

"Unfezant, let's get out of here!" Ash said.

The large Flying type then zoomed up into the sky, leaving behind a trail of dust behind.

Everything was quiet now. No one dared utter a word. Iris was amazed that Ash went through all that just to protect the little honor she had left. But, she didn't continue to dwell on the thought. She quietly left the stadium and headed back to her home up in Prism Tower. Seeing his Trainer leave, Dragonite took off into the air to meet her in the Central Plaza.

From her spot on the bleachers, Dawn was equally as amazed. He practically went head on into battle to defend someone he never knew. He truly was stubborn and reckless, but brave and just.

Serena, however, was peeved. He went though all that just to defend a stranger to him. As irritating as it was, it was admirable.

The mayor then turned to his assistant. "Call the police." He said. His assistant only nodded mutely.

* * *

Minutes later, the police had arrived at the stadium. Due to the recent incident, they decided to cancel the Spring Showcase until next week.

Officer Jenny was talking to Cynthia. "And you don't know where he could've gone?" She asked.

"No." Cynthia said. "But, is Ash going to get in trouble?"

"No need to worry." Jenny assured her. "We just need to find him and ask him some questions."

Serena then walked up to the two. "Please do find him." She asked, putting on a nervous facade. "If it would help, I would like to give my services."

"That would be very helpful, thank you." Jenny said to her.

Serena smirked inwardly. _And then, I could get some answers._ She thought to herself.

"But, we still need to find that other girl." Jenny continued. "She needs to see a social worker."

Serena's inside smirk grew wider, almost to the point where it can show up on her face. It will be like killing two birds with one stone.

Meanwhile, Dawn was listening in on the exchange. She knew she shouldn't be eavesdropping, but she couldn't help it. She needed to find Ash and let him know that the police are looking for him. So that he doesn't take it the wrong way if they find him first.

 _Maybe that girl can help me find him!_ She thought to herself. _Iris, was that her name? I'm pretty sure it is._

Dawn looked around and then remembered that when the spectators were being evacuted from the stadium, she thought she saw a purple hooded head towards Prism Tower. Odds are, that's where Iris is.

With her plan in motion, Dawn quietly snuck away from her spot where she was listening in on and headed toward Central Plaza. This time, she knew that she wouldn't get lost. It wasn't that hard to miss the tower, no matter where you are in the city.

* * *

 **A/N: Ha! I just love writing Ash! Especially when it comes to him being all fiesty to the ones who are doing wrong. But now, the police, along with Serena, are looking for him. Well, hopefully Dawn will find him first and clear things up before he takes it the wrong way.**

 **Until then, I'll see y'all later, in Chapter 7! Please leave a review about what you think!**

 **Got to fly! ;)**


	7. Official Meeting

Brave to Dare

 **A/N: I hope you guys haven't been waiting too long for an update. If you have, sorry. Things just have been going nuts, with school and other things. On the bright side, this chapter was kind of easy to write, since this is another one of my favorite scenes from the original Disney movie.**

 **Well, let's get on with Chapter 7. Roll it!**

Chapter 7

Official Meeting

Soon, Dawn found herself at the center plaza. In front of her was the famous Prism Tower, reaching high up into the sky. What people had said about the iconic tower was true. It was nearly impossible to not notice it, no matter where one may be in the city.

Just then, a small drop hit her bare arm, freezing her in her tracks.

" _Piplup!_ " Dawn looked up at her Water type perched on her head and saw that he was rubbing the top of his feathers with a flipper. The teenage girl looked further up and saw that the sky had quickly turned dark grey, and more drops of rain began coming down.

"Oh, come on." Dawn groaned. Of course it had to rain! She mentally slapped herself for not remembering to bring an umbrella in case this would happen. Dawn quickly started running towards a nearby building to hide underneath the shade as the rain rapidly started to increase.

"Now what?" She wondered aloud.

Suddenly, a darker shadow swooped above the building where Dawn was. She looked up and saw a bird-like Pokémon flying towards one of the windows in one of the first couple of floors of Prism Tower. That shadow then hovered near that slightly open window and a figure jumped through it, then two much smaller ones followed suit. Then, the bird-like figure vanished into a faint bright red beam of light.

Dawn got a thought, then smiled. She took out a Poké Ball and opened it. After the usual blue light appeared, a Togekiss emerged and trilled happily.

* * *

In an empty hallway of Prism Tower, Ash slipped through a door with Pikachu and Espurr on his heels. The two Pokémon shook themselves to remove all the water that was in their fur. Ash smiled slightly, but it quickly vanished.

He knew that he had done and messed up this time. No one would ever do that in a competition, and as his luck would most likely have it, that annoying brat probably accused him of causing collateral damage that she started and the police are likely out looking for him to arrest him for a crime he didn't commit.

 _Yeah, the only crime I committed was that I did what no one would do: stand up for that girl who was being bullied right in front of everyone._ Ash thought with a grimace.

"Stay close, you two." He said to Pikachu and Espurr.

The two nodded as they scampered ahead of Ash, and they all took careful and quiet steps down the hall. After a few tense seconds, Ash felt a presence coming from behind them. He slowly faltered in his steps, waiting for the right moment and scanning his surroundings for something.

Right when he took one second to pause, he immediately whirled around, grabbing a metal rod nearby and holding it out in front of him, catching the girl by surprise and causing her to fall onto her bottom and the Piplup falling off her head.

Ash recognized the girl before him. It was the same girl who had kind of helped him earlier with the thugs ganging up on Espurr in the alley.

"You." He said. And to think he was starting to like her earlier! He really had rotten luck. Pikachu and Espurr each took a fighting stance beside the male Trainer.

Dawn held up her hands up as she scooted back to stay away from the rod Ash was holding out to her stomach. "Hold up now." She said, trying to compromise. "I don't want any trouble."

"Oh, really?" Ash asked, not removing his rod. "Then why were you following me?" He demanded.

"Calm down." Dawn said, now realizing that she was backed up against the wall. "Please, just give me a chance to apologize."

"For what exactly?" Ash questioned, his eyebrow slightly raised in confusion.

Before he could blink, Dawn quickly pulled the rod away from him and jabbed him in the stomach with it, sending him onto his back from the surprise impact.

"For that, for example." She answered as she got back up on her feet.

Ash glared at her. "You sneaky little-"

"Whoa there!" Dawn cut him off before he could finish his vulgar sentence. "Easy. We may not be in a church, but you should really watch what you say."

Ash recovered from the jab and got back on his feet. Then, by sheer chance, he was near a discarded broom. "Are you always this charming, or am I just lucky?" He asked, before he grabbed the broom and started swinging it at Dawn, who blocked it with the metal rod in her hands.

The Pokémon were having their own battle, with Pikachu firing Thunderbolts, Espurr blocking attacks with a Light Screen, and Piplup shooting out Bubble Beam attacks.

"Hey! Didn't your mother teach you that it is wrong to hit girls?" Dawn asked as she deflected another swing and tried to switch to the offensive.

"Yeah, but also to defend yourself from anyone who seems suspicious." Ash answered back sassily as he blocked Dawn's swing.

The two kept dueling for a few more seconds. "You actually fight pretty well." Dawn said.

They then got into a stance, where they could feel each other's breath on their faces. "Funny." Ash replied. "I was going to say the same thing about you!" He pushed Dawn with his broom.

"That's a little below the belt, don't you think?" Dawn asked, backing away slightly.

"No, this is." Ash answered before he tried to swing his broom into the side of Dawn's head. She dodged it, but then Ash got down and swung Dawn's legs from under her.

Dawn rubbed her sore lower back. "Touché." She commented.

Just then, a Thunderbolt hit Piplup into the wall beside his Trainer, zapping him good. Pikachu and Espurr then appeared beside Ash.

"You're good in self-defense and battling." Dawn noticed.

"Well, there are a lot of things that you don't know about a person at first glance." Ash answered, keeping his broom in front of him, glaring sharply at Dawn.

The blue-haired girl rubbed her lower back as she slowly stood back up. Piplup then managed to shake himself out of his paralyzed state and hugged his Trainer's leg. "Yeah, I noticed." Dawn winced. "Permit me. My name's Dawn." She introduced.

Ash shared a look with the Pokémon beside him that clearly said, "Is she serious right now?"

"And you are..." Dawn trailed off, wanting him to finish. Even though she knew his name, she wanted to be polite and let him introduce himself.

"Is this an interrogation?" Ash asked suspiciously.

Dawn tossed away the metal rod. "I believe it is called an introduction." She said.

"You're not going to turn me in?" Ash asked, his defensive stance slightly faltering and he lowered his broom.

"Why would I turn someone in to the police who did nothing wrong?" Dawn questioned. "Besides, I only came to warn you that they only want to talk to you, and that you're not in trouble."

Ash suddenly felt ashamed of himself. He then put the broom away. "You... are definitely not what I thought you were." He said. "And I suppose an apology is in order."

"Thank you." Dawn said, relieved that he was finally listening to her. The Pokémon ceased their battle stances, seeing that the two Trainers were no longer hostile towards each other.

"So if you're not going to turn me in, what do you want?" Ash asked.

"Your name will suffice." Dawn said with a soft smile. Ash felt he couldn't tear his eyes away from her, seeing just how blue her own eyes were. He then returned her smile.

"Ash Ketchum." He answered, keeping his gaze on her.

"Nice to meet you, Ash." Dawn said.

The Pokémon noticed that the two humans were still looking at each other in a comfortable silence, both smiling softly at the other. The dim lighting was the only light source in the hallway, making Dawn's eyes appear to be glowing the brightest blue, like the ocean. And Ash's own brown eyes seem to glow with a trusting warmth, making them appear like the most delectable chocolate.

" _Pika-pi?_ " The voice of the Electric type and a paw tugging on his leg ended the moment, and both Trainers turned away from each other, slightly blushing. Ash looked down at Pikachu, the Mouse Pokémon giving him a teasing grin.

"Don't even start." He said firmly, even though his blush got a little bit deeper.

Piplup made a lovey-dovey face at Dawn, which also made her own blush more noticeable. "Not you too." She hissed.

Then the both of them turned to each other, Ash rubbing the back of his head and Dawn rubbing her arm.

"So, should we get going, then?" She asked. "I mean, uh, let's head on back to the Exhibition." She added awkwardly.

"Yeah." Ash agreed. "We better go."

Silently, all of them headed down towards the bottom floor of the tower.

* * *

 **A/N: How is that for some Pearlshipping fluff? There is definitely a little spark there.**

 **I know, this chapter isn't exactly the longest or the most action-packed, but this is a scene that needed to be in, since obviously in the story, Ash had to choose someone, and Pearlshipping is my OTP, so need I say much?**

 **I hoped y'all enjoyed this chapter anyway. Please leave a review about what you think.**

 **Got to fly! ;)**


	8. Becoming a Prisoner

Brave to Dare

 **A/N: Hey there! It's been a while since I updated this story. I'm glad that I'm still working on my stories. But because of school almost coming to an end, I might have to wait until summer until I'm back in full swing for all of my stories.**

 **Anyway, let's get on with Chapter 8! Roll it!**

Chapter 8

Becoming a Prisoner

Minutes later, Ash and Dawn were on the bottom floor of Prism Tower, followed by their Pokémon. They were talking, and sometimes even laughing about something that one of them said.

"How many Pokémon Leagues have you participated in?" Dawn asked as they entered a room outside of the main lobby.

Ash counted off his fingers. "I think about six." He answered. "And they were all over the world. I've competed in Kanto, my home region; the Orange Islands, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Unova. I plan to participate in the Kalos League here once the Spring Showcase is over."

"Wow." Dawn said. "I've only competed in two Grand Festivals." She said. "One in Sinnoh and the other in Hoenn."

"You're a Coordinator?" Ash asked. Dawn nodded. "Wow. You know, I have entered in a Contest once."

"You have?" Dawn asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It was an unofficial one." Ash explained. "So I didn't need a Contest pass. I actually tied with my friend, who is also a Coordinator."

"Huh." Dawn said, impressed. "I would like to see you in Contest action."

Ash rolled his eyes. "I have a lot of fun with Contests, but Gym battles are more my style."

Dawn giggled. "I can tell." She said. "You seem to be more in your zone when you're battling."

"But I would like to see you perform in a Contest." Ash said.

The smile left Dawn's face as she looked down at the tiled floor. "If there were Contests here." She said glumly.

Ash then remembered that there were no Pokémon Contests in the Kalos region. "Oh." He realized. "I'm sorry."

"It was one of the reasons why I was against moving here from Sinnoh." Dawn began explaining. "That and I would have to say goodbye to all my friends."

"You're from Sinnoh?" Ash asked. Dawn nodded silently. "Funny thing, the Sinnoh League was the farthest I've ever gotten in any of the Leagues I've been in. I made to the semifinals."

Dawn smiled a little. "That's quite an achievement." She said before her smile disappeared again.

Ash thought about something for a couple of seconds. He remembered that Cynthia once told him that instead of Contests, Trainers could do something else besides battling. What was it? It was like Contests, but a little different. Then, it hit him.

"Hey. You could participate in Pokémon Showcases." Ash suggested.

Dawn looked over at him. "Pokémon Showcases?" She asked with a tilt of her head.

"Showcases are really cool events similar to Contests, except that you can be alongside your Pokémon while performing an awesome routine. And you're called a Pokémon Performer." Ash began to explain. "If you win by popular vote, you earn something called a Princess Key. If you get three of them, then you go to the Grand Showcase, where if you win, you get crowned Kalos Queen."

Dawn thought about it. "I've heard some kids talk about it a few times in school." She said. "It does sound interesting." A tiny smile then came on her face. "When summer comes around, maybe I can give it a shot."

Ash beamed at her. "That's the spirit!" He said happily, impulsively taking her hand. But once he did, Dawn felt static shoot up her arm and her cheeks turning bright pink with heat as she gazed up at Ash, staring into his chocolate brown eyes. His hand was warm and gentle, even with the gloved area of his palm. She could even feel small calluses on his skin.

Ash didn't know why, but for some reason, he felt like he didn't want to let go of Dawn's hand, which was smooth and warm. The longer he held it, the more he felt like her touch was electric, but much gentler than Pikachu's Electric attacks the many times he zapped him. Heat slowly began to build up in his cheeks as he continued staring at her. Were her eyes always this blue?

The Pokémon who were watching the two teenaged Trainers glanced at each other with smug and knowing faces. It was obviously that the two of them were falling for the other right there.

When Dawn took one tentative step closer to Ash and took his other hand, the automatic doors pushed open, ending the moment as both Trainers released their hands and turned towards the open doors.

Serena was entering the building, a smirk plastered on her face. "Nice work there." She said to Dawn. "Come on now. The police will be here soon to arrest him."

Pikachu and Espurr growled at the newcomer. They sensed there was something rotten about her, and they didn't like it.

Dawn also glared at Serena. She has seen her multiple times before at school. She knew who she was and what she thought of herself.

"Who are you?" Ash asked, glaring at Serena. He had an immediate feeling not to trust her, seeing that Pikachu and Espurr were ready to attack her if they sense any funny business from her.

Serena glanced at Ash, a weird smile replacing the smirk that was on her face. "You seriously don't know?" She asked.

Ash narrowed his eyes further. "Sorry to burst your bubble."

That weird smile only grew. "Handsome and feisty." She purred, twirling a short loose strand of honey blonde hair. "Not a bad combination."

Ash resisted the urge to gag. Dawn quickly pulled him to look at her with her back facing Serena.

"Claim sanctuary." She whispered.

"What?" Ash asked, not understanding. "Why? Who is she?"

"That's Serena." Dawn explained. "She's the mayor's daughter, and a total queen bee at school. When she wants something, she gets it, no matter the cost." Ash clenched his teeth. He despised people like that, since they can be a major pain. He should know. He had to deal with a similar pain for most of his life. That is, until the guy's pride was knocked down a notch and now, the two of them were friends.

"If you claim sanctuary, the police can't remove you from this tower against your will." She added. "I'm sorry. Even if it may get you trapped here, this seems like the only solution."

"Why?" Ash asked.

"Being the mayor's kid, who knows what lies Serena might spill about you. She could even press false charges against you." Dawn said. "Please, claim sanctuary."

"I'm waiting." Serena chided, wondering what was taking so long. If Dawn was anything like any other new student, she would want to stay on her good side to become popular.

Dawn looked at Ash one last time with a look of guilt, then erased it from her face and turned to face Serena with determination. "I'm sorry, but he claimed sanctuary. Even if I was a cop, there's nothing I can do."

Serena clenched her teeth. "Just drag him outside, and let the police deal with him." She ordered. Dawn didn't budge, staying in front of Ash, her eyes narrowed.

"Leave him alone!" A young voice called out. The three teenagers turned to the side of where the lobby was and saw a little girl, about 8 years old, standing there with her hands on her hips. She had lemon blonde hair pulled into a side ponytail, fair skin, and blue eyes. She wore a brown shirt, a white flared skirt, black leggings and yellow sneakers. Around her waist was a small yellow fanny pack.

"I may not know about laws, but if he claimed sanctuary, then you don't have the right to force him out!" The girl continued yelling. She then ran over to Ash and Dawn and stood beside the older girl.

"Bonnie!" An older male voice called out from the lobby. A teenage boy around the same age as the other teens came into the room. He looked a lot like the younger girl, with the same skin color, hair color, and blue eyes. But he had glasses over his eyes, and he wore a light blue jumpsuit.

"Clemont." The girl called Bonnie said, jabbing her thumb over at Ash. "This guy claimed sanctuary, and yet Ms. Queen Bee here wants to drag him out."

The boy, now known as Clemont, turned towards Serena, glared at her, and went over to his sister and Dawn. "Serena, you know the law." He said simply. "And I think your parents will not be happy if their own daughter breaks a rule that they made themselves."

Serena was seething through her teeth. But to maintain her dignity, or at least whatever she had left, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the room.

Ash breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks, you guys." He said.

Dawn, Bonnie and Clemont turned back and smiled. "No problem, Ash." Dawn said. The two of them locked eyes for a second before Dawn nervously turned away. "I- I better go. It's getting late." She was about to leave, but then she turned back to look at Ash. "I'll see you later." With that, she left the room.

Clemont and Bonnie also left the room, leaving Ash and his Pokémon alone. Ash was about to follow the two siblings into the lobby, when suddenly, there was a soft ribbon wrapping around his wrists. Though it was soft, it was tight.

Pikachu and Espurr was about to protect Ash, but a Braixen and a Pancham came out and blocked them from reaching him. Ash struggled when he saw Serena step out of the shadows, followed by a Sylveon, whose ribbons were tied around his wrists.

"You think you have stopped me?" Serena asked as Ash tried to pry his wrists free. "I always get what I want." She slowly began circling around him. "And I know that people like you don't do well staying in one place too long."

Ash was still struggling to break his wrists free, but then he noticed something about Serena's Pokémon. They look like they were forced to do this. Since she is their Trainer, they have to be loyal to her, no matter how mean or crazy her demands may be.

Suddenly, he felt a finger tracing the back of his neck. He quickly moved it away from Serena's touch. "What are you doing?" He hissed.

"I was just imagining how you would look in black and white." Serena said in a sultry tone that made Ash sick to his stomach.

Finally, he pulled away from Sylveon's ribbons and whirled a few more inches away from Serena. "I had a feeling that was what you were imagining!" He hissed through his teeth.

Pikachu and Espurr managed to squeeze past Braixen and Pancham and get beside Ash, ready to attack if someone made the first move. All three of Serena's Pokémon were surprised to see someone so defiant against their Trainer's wishes. It made them wish that they could have the same courage to stand up to her.

"Clever." Serena said, sauntering up to where there was only five inches of space between her and Ash. "A criminal like you should know what the law wants with you."

"You're not the law." Ash growled.

"Oh, but I am." Serena said proudly. Then she turned away and began to head towards the doors of the room while calling her Pokémon back to their Poké Balls.

"You have chosen quite a place to claim as your sanctuary." Serena said, turning back to Ash as she reached the doors and opening one of them. "But now it is also your prison. You set one foot outside of this tower, and you're mine."

With that, Serena slammed the door, leaving Ash and his Pokémon alone in the room.

* * *

 **A/N: I know that the idea of claiming sanctuary probably wasn't the best idea, but if it was a law even now, it might work. And Kalos is based off France, so it might work. BTW, I'm not an expert on French law. I'll just stick to writing.**

 **Also, in about 4 days, it will be the second anniversary since I joined Fanfiction. I'm not sure I will be posting something on that day because I might be out of town for school purposes. But if I'm not, then we'll see.**

 **Until then, I'll see y'all! Please leave a review about what you think.**

 **Got to fly! ;)**


	9. Meeting Again

Brave to Dare

 **A/N: Okay, this one might not be as good as some of the other chapters, but I'm willing to give this a shot.**

 **Let's get on with Chapter 9! Roll it!**

Chapter 9

Meeting Again

Ash suddenly felt like he was being constricted inside once the door was slammed closed. He went over to a side entrance and opened the door a little bit. The rain was pouring outside and there were a few officers outside.

"Mayor's orders." The chief said that wasn't Jenny. "Post a guard at every door. The boy is refusing to come along quietly by claiming sanctuary, and there were some charges for extreme vandalism pressed against him. If you see him outside the building, arrest him."

Ash groaned and slammed the door shut. _Mayor's orders. Yeah, right. More like Serena's orders._ He thought to himself as he stomped out of the spare room, followed by Pikachu and Espurr.

"Don't worry, guys." He said. "If that stuck-up wannabe diva thinks that she can keep us in here, she's dead wrong."

"I would be a little more cautious about Serena if I were you." A male voice said, catching Ash's attention. He turned to the side and saw Clemont and Bonnie wiping down the elevator doors and buttons, cleaning them to a pristine shine.

"You made quite a show at the Exhibition." Bonnie said. "We saw it all on TV."

Clemont smiled briefly at his sister before turning to Ash. "It's not a good idea to make Serena even more angry." He said.

"She may seem like a pretty little flower on the outside, but on the inside, she's a monster." Bonnie added.

That much, Ash can certainly agree on. "You both saw what happened at the Exhibition." He said. "That girl being humiliated in front of everyone, and no one doing squat about it! I thought if just one person could stand up for her, maybe-" He abruptly stopped his rant before huffing in disdain. "What do people have against those who are different?"

Clemont and Bonnie only shrugged as they came over to him. It was definitely an age-old question, and it hasn't been solved fully even after all this time.

"People are just afraid of what they don't understand." Clemont answered as best as he could. "Besides, you can't fix everything wrong in this world by yourself."

"Well, no one out there is gonna help, that's for sure." Ash said, jabbing his thumb towards the main doors of the tower.

"Well, maybe there's someone in here, besides us, who can." Bonnie suggested. "If anyone wants to go head-to-head with Serena, they need an army."

"Or someone who can reveal her greatest weakness." Clemont added. He and Bonnie then headed towards a different part of the first floor. "Feel free to explore the tower." He said. "This place is now your haven."

Then the two of them went off into a hallway, leaving Ash and the two Pokémon alone in the main foyer.

Ash knew that he was stuck here, and he intended on getting out. But how?

"What do you think, guys?" He asked the Pokémon next to him. "If we look around, maybe there's a way that we can get out of here."

Pikachu and Espurr voiced their agreements. Then, they followed Ash into the elevator.

* * *

Hiding in one of the rooms on the top floor of Prism Tower, Iris was weeping, quietly and uncontrollably. This must've been the worst day ever. She blew her chance to get some acceptance and respect, and now, she felt like she could never step out of this place ever again.

Just then, there was a loud crash coming from outside the room. Iris stopped crying and quietly peeked out of the room. She slowly went out of the room and started to investigate.

There was a rumbling sound coming from one of the other spare rooms. Iris took a quick look inside and saw Ash trying to open the window. After a few more seconds of struggling, he threw his sore hands up in frustration.

"Come on!" He exclaimed before sliding down to the floor, hugging his knees. "How is there not one freaking window unlocked in this stupid tower?"

Pikachu and Espurr went over to them and rubbed their faces against his legs to comfort him. Immediately, Ash felt a lot better better, and he petted both of them on their heads gently.

"Thanks, guys." He said. "At least I'm not stuck here alone."

Iris watched the touching scene with warm eyes. This was also cheering her up as well. But when she looked a little further out to get a better look, she lost her balance and fell face-first on the floor.

Ash and the two Pokémon slightly jumped up when they saw her. Iris felt her face flushing and she quickly left the room.

"Wait!" Ash called after her as he started to follow her out of the room and into the many hallways. "Hang on, I just want to talk!"

From in Iris' room, her Pokémon were listening to the ruckus that was outside. Emolga decided to glide around and see what was going on from the ceiling. She soon spotted her Trainer running away from a male Trainer, followed by a Pikachu and an Espurr.

The Electric and Flying type was a little confused about her Trainer's actions. Why would she be running from such a handsome human boy like this one? If this was an idea of playing hard to get, then she is trying way too hard.

Eventually, when Iris stopped to catch her breath, Ash finally managed to catch up with her. "Whew. I was afraid I almost lost you there for a second."

Iris whirled around to look at him. "Yeah, um…. Look, I have a lot of stuff to do, so, I, um, have to go. I-It was nice s-seeing you, a-again." She stuttered. She turned away and started running again, mentally hitting her head against a brick wall. _Real smooth, Iris._ She thought dryly. Above them, watching the awkward scene, Emolga slapped her paw against her head.

"No, wait!" Ash called, continuing his chase. "You don't have to run. I was the one, who…." He trailed off when he realized that he had chased Iris into a room that looked like someone was living in it. Despite the many shadows against the walls, the setting sunlight drifted through a window, allowing some natural light in.

"You live here?" He asked aloud, hoping that Iris had heard him.

Iris shyly peeked out of her hiding spot behind some crates. "Yes." She answered.

Ash curiously looked around. "You know, for someone who lives alone and who is my age, this place is actually pretty nice."

Iris felt her scarred cheeks heat up again. "You really think so?" She asked.

"Yeah." Ash replied. "For someone who sometimes has to sleep in a drafty cave, I've learned not to take places for granted. It may not be a hotel room, but it sure beats sleeping on a hard stone floor."

Iris slowly came out of her hiding place. "You must've had a lot of experience to know that." She said.

Ash shrugged. "Well, experience is something that changes people." He responded.

Just then, Emolga swooped in and handed on Ash's head, making the raven-haired Trainer laugh. "Well, hi there!" He greeted cheerfully.

Emolga returned the greeting just as cheerful. Ash raised a head and began petting the little Pokémon behind her ears. "This Emolga yours?" He asked Iris.

Iris nodded. "Yep, she is." She answered.

Emolga then jumped off Ash's hat and landed on one of the crates. "What other Pokémon do you have?" He asked Iris.

"I have an Excadrill." She said. "And you already know Axew and Dragonite." Ash nodded.

Just then, Axew and Excadrill came out of their own hiding spots to greet Ash. The 17-year-old boy laughed and began introducing himself, Pikachu and Espurr. Iris smiled at the scene that was unfolding in front of her. Ash then turned to her.

"You're really an interesting person, Iris." He said. Iris felt her face go warm at the thought of him remembering her name. "Not to mention, lucky." He gestured to all around him. "All this space to yourself."

"Well, it's not just me." Iris said bashfully. "There's also my Pokémon. If you like, I can show you around."

Ash smiled. "Sure, why not?"

Iris returned his smile. "Come on, then. I'll give you an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of Prism Tower." Then both teenagers headed out of the room, with their Pokémon followed suit.

* * *

Iris never felt this happy in her life. She showed Ash all the vents that she used to sneak around the tower, whether to get food or for another reason. Ash had asked why she had to be secretive, but he quickly realized why. Iris looked like she had been abused, and she didn't want to cause a ruckus all over her since she was a shy and secretive person. But the more he got to know her, she seemed to open up more.

Finally, they had reached the very top of the tower. "I've saved the best for last." Iris said, no longer shy, even going as far as taking Ash's hand, not that he minded. She seemed like she really needed a true friend after being alone for so many years.

Iris guided Ash to the railings and they both looked out to the horizon. The setting sun turned the sky red and orange, with a tinge of purple. All the other buildings looked so small from their position.

"Wow." Ash whispered, breathless. "I bet only Flying types have a view like this." He said. "I can stay up here forever."

Iris turned to face him. The sunlight was lighting up his face, making his eyes and skin glow with a brightness that only an angel can possess. Now it was getting darker, it looked like his wild raven hair was even darker than the night sky itself.

"You could, you know?" She whispered. She certainly wouldn't mind if Ash stayed here with her.

Ash turned away from the railing. "No, I can't." He said. "I have a home, back in Kanto."

Iris' spirits sank. She mentally kicked herself for being selfish for even a few seconds. Of course he had a home! And it wasn't here.

"But you claimed sanctuary here, right?" She asked.

Ash nodded bitterly. "Only so that Serena would leave me alone."

Iris raised an eyebrow. Serena forced him to claim sanctuary? "Serena wouldn't do that." She said. "She's my friend."

Now it was Ash's turn to raise his own brow. "Serena is your friend?" He asked. "How can such a stuck-up girl like her be friends with someone like you?"

"She may seem full of herself, but she's really the only friend I've ever had in my life." Iris explained.

Ash only nodded, understanding why Iris is defending her. Serena was the only friend she ever had beside her Pokémon and himself.

"Besides, everyone at school thinks I'm a freak." Iris continued as she too moved away from the railing and walked towards the building wall. "Now everyone knows why."

Ash came over to her. "I don't think you're a freak." He said, making her look up at him with wide eyes. "I think you're a pretty cool person, and it doesn't matter that you look different."

Iris blushed pink when she continued listening to Ash. "Back home, I was thought that I was weird, too. A lot of the kids made fun of me because I wasn't the brightest student in school and that I preferred hanging out with Pokémon instead of other kids my age.

"But then I realized something while I was on my journeys." He said. "I learned that it doesn't matter what other people think of me. What matters is what I think of myself. I learned that I can be stubborn, reckless, rash, but I care about my friends and my Pokémon." He then looked at her directly in the eyes.

"What about you, Iris?" He asked. "What do you think of yourself? Who are you, and who do you want to be?"

* * *

 **A/N: I think this is a good enough cliffhanger. What do you think?**

 **Okay, I gotta go now. Until Chapter 10, I'll see y'all! Please leave a review about what you think.**

 **Got to fly! ;)**


	10. Escape and a Wonderful Light Inside

Brave to Dare

 **A/N: okay, I had this finished since yesterday, but I couldn't get on a computer until today. Sorry about that. Anyway, I'm sure you're all tired of waiting, so let's get on with Chapter 10! Roll it!**

Chapter 10

Escape and a Wonderful Light Inside

Iris was shocked by what Ash meant by those words. Who was she? She was a reclusive and physically scarred orphan living on her own with hardly no friends. And that was who she was. But what about the future? Can she really have the power to change it, and be who she truly wanted to be? Well, she can't change who she is. She tried, and look what had happened.

She was soon pulled out of her thoughts when she saw Ash heading back towards the railing, Pikachu and Espurr following him. She quietly stood up, followed him and saw that he was looking out towards the horizon with a sadness in his eyes. It made her heart bleed for him. He knew who he was, and that he can't stay here forever. He belonged out there, exploring all the corners of the world and making a difference in other lives. Well, she can't change her future, but at least she can do something to make sure that Ash continues to live the life he leads.

"You've helped me." She began, determination in her voice. Ash turned to her, wondering what she had planned. "And now, it's my turn to help you." Iris felt an unusual fire beginning to brew inside of her. Whatever it was, it actually felt amazing. Like she was powerful and confident and unafraid.

"But there's no way out of here." Ash said, looking down the hundreds of feet to see the police scattered all around the perimeter of the tower. "There's cops at every door. And all of the windows I've come across are barred shut."

"Who said anything about using a door or a window?" Iris asked rhetorically, a confident grin coming on her face. She then whistled sharply. Ash stole a glance downward and was relieved that the police couldn't hear what was going on from above.

In a matter of seconds, Dragonite appeared, flapping his wings near the railing. Ash then caught onto Iris' plan. "You mean, fly down?" He asked. "From way up here?"

"Sure." Iris said. "The police never look up for some reason. And we'll land outside the perimeter, and then you can get to safety." She then jumped onto Dragonite and held out her hand. "Are you with me?"

Ash looked down at the bottom one last time, and then at Iris. "Okay." He said. Pikachu and Espurr leaped onto his shoulders, and he took Iris' hand. She pulled him behind her, and Ash wrapped his arms around her waist to make sure he didn't fall off while flying. The gesture however, made Iris turn bright red.

She quickly cleared her throat before she would get too embarrassed. "All right, Dragonite." She whispered. "Get us down on the ground, somewhere away from the police."

Dragonite growled an affirmative, and then shot up into the sky with a mighty push. Ash had to bite back a yelp of surprise, and he tightened his hold on Iris. Pikachu and Espurr however, did no such thing as they both exclaimed loudly and held on tighter to Ash's shoulders.

"Dragonite!" Iris scolded, and the Dragon-type stopped in a thick cloud, flapping his wings to keep him in place. The large Pokémon growled an insincere apology before smoothing out the ride and glided down to the ground, a few hundred meters away from the perimeter of Prism Tower.

"Hey, you're pretty good with Dragon-types." Ash complimented, making Iris blush a dark pink.

"T-Thanks." She slightly stammered.

Dragonite rolled his eyes at how shy his Trainer was acting around this human boy. But she was too focused on him to notice that from down below, one of the police officers was starting to look up.

Thinking quickly, Dragonite flew back up at high speed, making everyone yelp in surprise and fear.

"What are you doing, Dragonite?" Iris demanded.

Ash stole a quick glance at the ground down below and saw why. Then, he immediately covered Iris's mouth with one of his hands. He silently motioned downward, and Iris saw the situation.

Everyone remained silent for a couple of tense moments. Once the cop looked away from the sky, they all breathed out with relief.

Dragonite then finally made it down to the ground. Ash jumped off the Dragon Pokémon, and both Pikachu and Espurr jumped off to praise that they were safe and back on the ground again.

"Guys." Ash playfully chided. But both Pokémon paid no heed to him, making him chuckle while rolling his eyes playfully.

Suddenly, Dragonite began growling. "What is it, Dragonite?" Iris asked it. Voices then were heard, making everyone freeze. "Hide!" She hissed.

Everyone quickly obeyed. Dragonite flew up and behind a building, Pikachu and Espurr hid inside an abandoned crate, while Ash pulled Iris into a darkened alleyway.

Everyone held their breath as another cop inspected the street. Ash even tightened his hold on Iris, hoping that they weren't seen, while the latter was trying to melt into a puddle by how close they were.

Eventually, the officer left the street and headed back to where he came from. Everyone released a sigh of relief.

"That was way too close." Ash said as he and Iris came out of the alleyway, letting go of her arms. As much as Iris wanted to whimper at the lost contact and warmth, she kept it together. All of the Pokémon cautiously came out of their hiding places.

"Were you scared?" Iris asked him. "From the ride?"

Ash smiled brightly. "Not a bit."

Pikachu and Espurr moaned out their disagreements, making the two humans slightly laugh.

Iris then turned to face Ash. "I'll never forget you, Ash Ketchum." She said, a true smile on her face.

Ash returned it, sensing the true happiness in her grin. "Come with me." He suddenly said.

Iris was taken aback. "W-What?" She stuttered, feeling her cheeks blush again.

"To Kanto." Ash explained. "Leave this place. I'm sure that other people there will treat you nicer."

Iris shook her head, the fear and embarrassment from the events earlier coming back to her mind. "No way." She said. "I'm not going back out there." She then looked up towards Prism Tower. "This is where I belong, Ash."

The Kanto native boy saw the resolute in her eyes, and knew that her mind was made up. "All right." He said. "Then I'll come to see you."

Iris looked back at him in shock. "What?" She questioned. "But what about the police? And Serena?"

"I'll come after sunset." Ash explained. "Cynthia and I came here for the Spring Showcase, and since it's delayed, we're not going anywhere soon."

"But after sunset, the Tower activates it's full-on security system." Iris said. "It would almost be impossible to get inside, unless you're me, and even if you can, it would be a pretty close shave to get-"

She was cut off when she felt Ash's gentle gloved hand holding hers, his thumb softly rubbing against the top. She was sure that her face was as red and hot as her Dragonite's Flamethrower. She looked up at him and saw that the kindness and gentle pleading in his eyes, making her knees weak.

"W-Whatever's g-good f-for you." She stammered.

Ash smiled at her and released her hand. He then reached into a pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. "If you ever need somewhere safe to hide, this will show you where." He said, and placed it in her palm.

"What is it?" Iris asked curiously.

"It's my favorite spot to train here." Ash explained. "I found it when I first arrived here, and no one knows about it. Since I can't go back to the hotel where Cynthia and I are staying at, I'll have to bunker down there for now." He then took her free hand in his. "Promise me that you won't show this to anybody unless you completely trust them."

"All right." Iris said. "I promise."

"Thank you, Iris." Ash said gratefully, once more releasing her hand.

The two just stood there for a few extra seconds, before Iris had to end it, much to her disappointment. "You best leave before someone spots us." She said.

Ash nodded. "I'll see you soon." He said. "Come on, Pikachu. Espurr."

The two Pokémon obeyed, and both climbed onto his shoulders, and he bolted down the street, disappearing into the night.

Iris stood there, watching with a fond smile at where Ash had run off. Dragonite nudged his Trainer, not wanting to keep watching her stand there with a dopey lovestruck smile on her face. It was nauseating enough.

The Unova native girl chuckled at her Pokémon's impatience. "Okay, Dragonite." She said. "Let's head on back."

* * *

It was a smooth and pleasant ride back to Prism Tower. Iris had a blissful smile on her face the entire time. Dragonite wasn't much for mushy stuff, but it was nice to see his Trainer truly happy for once.

But once they had landed back on the top of Prism Tower and Iris was about to return Dragonite to his Poké Ball, she was met with the sight of Dawn also there, with her Togekiss.

"Hello." Dawn greeted cheerfully. "I'm looking for Ash Ketchum. Have you seen him?"

Iris gritted her teeth while Dragonite roared defensively. Dawn and Togekiss immediately stepped back.

"Why would you be looking for him?" Iris demanded. "This is sanctuary!"

"Hang on!" Dawn said, waving her hands rapidly. "I mean him no harm!" Togekiss chirped in agreement.

"Likely story!" Iris said, crossing her arms. "Dragonite, use Flamethrower!"

The Dragon type began building up red-hot flames in his mouth.

"Wait!" Dawn shouted, stopping the Fire-type move from being unleashed. "If you attack, then the police will know for sure that something's wrong!"

Dragonite receded the flames with a grumble. Iris knew that this girl had a point. She had seen her before. She was the one who had warned Ash of Georgia's dirty move back at the Showcase.

"Why are you looking for Ash?" She asked again.

"I just wanted to apologize to him." Dawn explained. "For trapping him here. But it was the only way that I knew how to save him." Iris' eyes softened at that, seeing that Ash means a lot to her as well. "Will you tell him that for me?"

"Only if you leave, before the cops see you." Iris said firmly.

The two girls stood there, not moving a muscle. Finally, Dawn gave in. "Okay. I'll leave." She said.

She turned to Togekiss and jumped onto her back. "One more thing." She said. "Tell Ash he's lucky."

"Why?" Iris asked suspiciously.

Dawn smiled warmly at her. "To have a friend like you." She answered simply. Togekiss then opened her wings and took off into the sky.

Iris stood there for a few brief seconds, taking in Dawn's words as she watched her fly away. _A friend._ She thought as pictures of Ash appeared in her mind. _I like the sound of that._

* * *

When Iris came back into her little hideout, all of her Pokémon came out of their hiding places and began cheering. She quickly pressed a finger to her lips.

"Keep it down!" She hissed. "We're all supposed to be asleep."

Immediately, they became silent, and they kept quiet for a few long minutes. Once Iris was sure that no one had heard them, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay." She said. "Now what were you guys cheering me for?"

Emolga began to explain why to her Trainer in her own language. But Iris just looked at her, confused. Emolga then tried a different tactic. She found a worn out cap in one of the boxes and put it on. She then began acting confident and kind, an attitude that Iris was very familiar with.

"Something about Ash?" She guessed.

Emolga nodded, and then readjusted the cap and started acting differently, but still somewhat nice. Iris also recognized the behavior because she had just seen it a few minutes before.

"And Dawn?" She continued.

Emolga chirped happily, and then pulled Axew into her charade. Axew began acting out Iris, while Emolga pretended to begrudgingly leave, imitating Dawn.

"You guys are proud of me for sending Dawn away?" Iris finally guessed.

All of her Pokémon cheered once, confirming it. "But why?" Their Trainer asked. "She wasn't really a bad person."

Emolga once more began imitating Ash. "What about Ash?"

Excadrill huffed in annoyance at her cluelessness and then began carving out something on a flat and discarded piece of wood. Once he was done, he handed it to Iris.

The carving showed "A + I" inside of a heart. Iris caught the implication and blushed a furious scarlet.

"W-What?" She squawked in embarrassment. "Ash and I aren't like that!"

All of her Pokémon gave her unbelieving looks, not buying it for a second.

"I mean it!" Iris continued. She then looked at a large piece of glass that served as a mirror in one of the corners of the room. "Besides, I don't exactly look appealing." She then walked over to the narrow window, gazing out towards Lumiose City. "I don't think I'm his type."

However, she looked back down at the carving in her hands. A gentle smile then began forming on her face. Then, she looked back out to the city. If this was what love felt like, then it was good. Better than good. It was like there was a wonderful light brightening up her life.

"Ash Ketchum, you are something else." Iris whispered, holding the carving close to her heart.

* * *

 **A/N: Pretty cute, right? Well, that's enough fluff for now. Soon, things will start getting a little darker. You have been warned. Especially for those of you who are Serena fans. I've said before that she isn't so nice in this story. Sorry.**

 **Until the next chapter, which is sure to be one of the darkest things I've ever written, I'll see y'all! Please leave a review about what you think!**

 **Got to fly! ;)**


	11. Obsession By Fire

Brave to Dare

 **A/N: The scene was planned out, but how to write it was the hard part. I haven't written anything dark in a while.**

 ***sees suspicious glares from some readers* And by a while, I mean about...two years?**

 ***sees that doesn't help***

 **I'm sorry, dark stuff are not my strongsuit! But it needed to be in this story. Luckily, PokemonFreak90 was kind enough to lend me some help. I thank you for that big time, my friend!**

 **Now, let's get on with Chapter 11! Roll it!**

Chapter 11

Obsession By Fire

That same night, Iris wasn't the only one looking up at the bright full moon. Somewhere within the city, inside her own house, Serena was also looking up at it, thinking about all that had happened that day.

She knew that she was the best out of everyone her age, and she was proud of it. She tried to be an example of popularity and kindness, all wrapped into one lovely package. Granted, maybe she could've done something about what had happened to Iris back on the Exhibition battlefield, but she had promised her that she wouldn't try anything crazy. So in a way, she got what was coming to her.

But what was really eating at Serena's mind was a certain boy from Kanto who had the guts to do something about Iris's mistreatment and was the first person to see through her sweet little facade. As she glanced at the fireplace in the room, she could see the flames flickering wildly to show Ash's image, smirking at her teasingly and beckoning her to come closer with his hand curling back and forth, like he was challenging her to even dare. She came closer to the fireplace, all while reaching into her pocket and pulling out a light blue handkerchief with a little Poké Ball design sewn onto the corner. She had snatched it earlier when she had Ash struggling against her back in Prism Tower.

She could see the tense yet fluid movements of him commanding his Pokémon during his opening battle with Cynthia, as if it were a hypnotizing dance. His strong arms habitually extending to give out his orders, his torso slightly twisting as he moved his legs to gain a better position. He always looked like the perfect trainer when in battle.

She could see the fire in his luscious brown eyes burning straight through her soul as he glared at her. But there was also the warmer and more gentle flickering of the embers in them when he smiled, yet even those still scorched her fiercely. That passion that he showed excited her.

She could feel the warmth of his body when she had him cornered earlier. How tempting it was to try and feel him up, even to feel the tightness in his arms. Even though when she brushed her fingers against his smooth skin at that one moment, that alone was an addiction, one that Serena didn't want to stop. She wished that he would hold her close in those strong arms.

And the sun caught in his untamed raven hair; it was driving her crazy to want to feel if it was soft, despite how wild and unkempt it looked. She pressed the handkerchief to her nose, smelling the scent of pine, cinnamon, and a tinge of sweat. It was a unique scent all on its own, just as unique as Ash.

It was like a fire building up inside of her, wanting all of what Ash Ketchum must have to offer to any worthy woman and Serena knew that no woman was more worthy of that wonderful boy than her. Just thinking about every wonderful thing about him was making her aroused. But there was a sweetness inside of him that just didn't seem to fit right in the image that Serena had of him. A sweetness that must be removed.

Serena felt her face grow hot at where that thought came from. She shook her head, wanting that out of her head. But just as Ash was stubborn, the image of him stayed in her mind's eye as she stared at the fire, still acting unnaturally seductive, showcasing his body at an angle that showed off his lean figure.

 _Come on now, Serena._ The honey-blonde quickly chided herself, shaking her head. _Don't let this boy cast a spell on you, no matter how charming he may seem. He's still a wanted fugitive and he must be punished for all of his misdeeds. But still, I want him to be mine and mine alone. Maybe I can use that to my advantage._

But then, she remembered something that left a sour taste in her mouth. Before she came into Prism Tower to look for Ash, she saw him talking with that new girl from Sinnoh. She briefly saw the way she'd looked at him. She seemed to have a soft spot for him as well.

But the way that Ash looked at her...it was full of intrigue and kindness, like he had welcomed her company. And it was much different than how he had looked at Serena. His fiery eyes aimed at her were full of hate and disgust. But when he was gazing at the Sinnoh girl, Dawn, he had a softness and warmth that obviously spelled that he might reciprocate her feelings.

An unfamiliar anger began swelling up inside of Serena and she felt chills trailing up her arms, then tangling tightly around her brain. She clenched her teeth and fists at the mere thought of Ash having his strong and lean arms wrapped around Dawn's waist, holding her close to his form, and her own slim arms around his svelte shoulders. It should be her in his arms, not Dawn!

 _What does she have that I don't?_ She thought bitterly. _I'm obviously prettier and better than she is. Yet, why does he even bother with her? Well, I'll teach her not to take anything from me, and that she has no idea who she's dealing with! No one will keep me from getting what I'm entitled to!_

Serena felt a different but equally powerful fire swelling up in her, wanting to have Dawn out of the picture so that she could have Ash. Both flames of lust and anger were eating at her mind, her eyes darkening with an emotion that she never felt before. But strangely, she liked it, because she felt a power that she had never felt before. If she could control her own school, why not also have the city in the palm of her hand?

Now, this emotion was obsession turned madness.

She could gleefully picture Dawn being arrested for the same false charges that had been placed on Ash, and maybe she could even be publicly executed right there unless Ash appears and willingly surrenders himself to Serena. And then, with Dawn gone, he'll be hers and hers alone! Or better yet, do away with her in secret, make it look like it was an accident, and he'll have no else to turn to but her when his heart breaks into pieces!

A knock came on her door, snapping her out of her diabolical thoughts. She gasped quietly in surprise and wiped away beads of sweat that came on her brow with the handkerchief and turned towards the door. It was her father.

"What is it, Father?" Serena asked.

"It's that boy." The mayor answered. "The one from the Battle Exhibition. He's escaped."

Serena felt a tightening inside her chest and she slightly clenched her fist that was holding the handkerchief. "What do you mean?" She asked, trying to not sound angry, but curious.

"The police looked all throughout the entire tower through the security system." The mayor explained. "He's nowhere inside. He's just….gone."

"But how?" Serena continued to question, wondering how on earth Ash escaped from Prism Tower. She was sure that they had taken every precaution.

 _He's a slippery one, that's for sure._ She thought.

"We're sending out search parties first thing in the morning." The mayor continued.

"Can I help?" Serena asked, putting on a polite front.

"Of course you can, sweetheart." The mayor said, making his daughter smirk inwardly. "Get some rest, okay?"

"Okay, Father." Serena answered, and the mayor left her room. Her smile faded from her face and she gritted her teeth, clenching her fist holding the handkerchief even tighter as her anger continued to build. Her eyes turned dull and lifeless, but at the same time, having a cold fire in them.

"I will find you, Ash Ketchum." She vowed, glaring at the blue cloth in her hand as she turned back to the fireplace. "Even if I have to tear the entire city apart."

An image of Dawn and her annoyingly sweet smile came in her head as Serena glanced back at the red and orange fire, the flames moving back and forth madly. "And I'll get rid of anyone who stands in my way, no matter what it takes. I'll have that Sinnoh newbie out of the picture and you'll be all mine."

With that, Serena hatefully threw the handkerchief into the fire. She watched with dark eyes as the vermilion flames licked the cloth, turning its soft blue into a brittle brown, splotched with black and orange embers. In her mind, she saw a smoky image of Dawn screaming and writhing in pain rising up from the smoldering piece of cloth. Then, an image of Ash appeared beside the scene, his eyes widened in horror. He then sank down to his knees, his fists clenching tightly with heartbreak and his eyes squeezed shut.

"I'll be courteous for now, but if she resists, then you, Ash Ketchum, will have a front-row seat, watching her take her last breath." Serena finished the dark promise as everything went black.

Ash would be her man forever and Dawn would die, along with anyone else who would want to keep him and Serena apart!

* * *

 **A/N: I know this was short, but what would you expect for one small yet crucial scene?**

 **Funny enough, I was watching a Pokémon video of "Hellfire", that actually was about Ash and Serena. If you guys want to, check it out. It's simply called "HellFire" by Luna D. It was a big inspiration and motivation as I wrote this.**

 **Now that we have witnessed Serena's descent into madness, what will happen next? Well, we have to wait and see in Chapter 12.**

 **Until then, I'll see y'all! Please leave a review about what you think.**

 **Got to fly! ;)**


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